Canton, OH- The Malone University baseball team was hoping to send its seniors out with a pair of wins on Sunday. The Pioneers honored seniors Clayton Criss, Jake Aleman, Cole Maley, Josh Salinas, Henry Smith, Jordan Stevens, Devin Brown, JC Philippi, Michael Cook, Matt Dile, and Michael Paljich.

 Unfortunately, Ohio Dominican swept the doubleheader, emerging victorious in both games.

THE ESSENTIALS

• Game 1: Ohio Dominican  9 - Malone 8
• Game 2: Ohio Dominican 8 - Malone 2
• Records: Malone (6-35, 3-23 G-MAC) | Ohio Dominican (22-16, 13-9 G-MAC)
• Location: Canton, OH | Thurman Munson Memorial Stadium

Game 1
Ohio Dominican got off to a strong start, scoring three runs in the opening inning. Malone couldn't answer in the bottom of the 1st, going down in order. But in the 2nd, they started a comeback. After a walk and a hit-by-pitch, Allen Diaz hit an RBI single, and a throwing error allowed another run, narrowing the gap to 3-2.

In the top of the 3rd, the Panthers extended their lead. The inning started with a  walk, followed by a single . Then, a sacrifice fly and a catcher's interference brought two more runs home, making it 6-2.

Malone didn't give up, though. In the bottom of the 3rd, they fought back with two runs, with a walk and a single contributing to the effort, bringing the score to 6-4. The 4th inning saw more action. Malone capitalized on errors and wild pitches, tying the game at 6-6.

In the 5th, Malone surged ahead, scoring two more runs with RBI singles from Allen Diaz and Eric Baum, making it 8-6

In the top of the seventh, the Panthers mounted a thrilling rally to seize a narrow 9-8 lead, and they successfully sealed the victory in the bottom half of the inning.

Game 2
Senior Clayton Criss made a heartfelt return to the field in honor of senior day, albeit briefly. Criss, a cornerstone player for the Pioneers throughout his career, had been sidelined for most of the year due to an injury. Catcher Chris Munoz replaced Clayton in the first inning.

It was another strong start for the Panthers scoring a run in the top of the first, and two more in the third leading early 3-0. In the bottom of the fourth inning, Malone's defense showcased their resilience as they managed to limit Ohio Dominican to no runs despite a triple to right center.

As the game progressed, Malone's offense began to find its rhythm. In the bottom of the sixth inning, Henry Smith's sacrifice fly brought in a run, narrowing the gap to 3-1. The inning continued with Zach Flohr drawing a walk, which led to the Pioneers scoring another run due to a wild pitch.

ODU plated four in the seventh and one in the ninth to win 8-2.

DETAILS

•  Jake Aleman finished 1-3 with an RBI in game one
• Devin Brown collected 2 hits across games
• Allen Diaz had 2 hits and 2 RBI in game one
• Henry Smith collected a hit, an RBI, and scored a run in game one
• Gavin Shrum finished 2-3 in game two

What's Next
Malone will play at home one final time this season on Wednesday Apr. 24. vs Walsh.  The game will start at 12:00 PM

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